10 things to do in San Francisco

Happy #traveltuesday readers!

Today’s Guest post is by the lovely WMW who is an avid traveler and a famous Malaysian food blogger. Cumi & Ciki have always been great fans of her website and so when she said yes to being featured on this blog, we were over the moon! Here she is writing about one of her favourite travel destinations, San Francisco.

There’s really so much to see and experience in San Francisco that made it hard for me to narrow down the long list to just 10 Things To Do In San Francisco.  Having been there for about 8 times now over the years visiting my sister and family, I fell in love with San Francisco when I arrived at the bay for the very first time.  This list talks about some new experiences I had on my most recent trip last year and those that I keep going back to time and time again. Anyway, here’s my list of 10 Things To Do In San Francisco (in no particular order), void of the usual places that tourists flock to.  I hope that you will find the same joy as I did if ever you visit these places that I’ve recommended.

1. Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet

Great food, great coffee plus sunshine and fresh air, that’s happiness indeed. I just love farmer brown’s Little Skillet! Keeping true to their words in serving the local community with wholesome Southern American classics (as written on Little Skillet’s website), it was just an overall wonderful experience for me as I took in not only the delicious free range Petaluma chicken and waffle but also the warmth from the summer sunshine and that exuded from this tiny little place that is located along a tiny one way street! One is encouraged to access Little Skillet on foot or by riding a bicycle.

2. Twin Peaks

Make sure you go up to Twins Peak (about 15 minutes drive from downtown) for it’s one of the best spots for a great view of the city.  Elevated more than 900 ft above, the 360 degree view of San Francisco city from Twin Peaks is breathtaking – be it day time or night time!  It can get rather windy, so make sure you grab a jacket and do check the weather report ahead to make sure it isn’t a foggy day on the day/night you plan to make a trip up here.

3. Sonoma County

San Francisco Bay Area itself consists of 9 counties : Alameda, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa, Solano and Sonoma. Located about 45 miles away from San Francisco, Sonoma is one of the most agriculturally productive countries and home to more than 300 award winning wineries. Check out the listing of wineries online and enquire about participating in one of the many Wine Release Parties that are held occasionally if your timing is right.  You can also go for a wine tasting session (or two or three or more!) and a walkabout at the many vineyards in the area.  You can find good food (at the Wine Release Parties) and good wine – take it all in together with the lovely surrounding scenery and great ambiance and you will wish that you could stay here in the wineries forever!

4. Capital Restaurant

If you’re ever in Chinatown and need to feed your stomach, make that pit stop at Capital Restaurant. What’s a must order here? Fried Chicken Wings with Salt & Hot Pepper! These chicken wings live up to their wicked reputation as I found myself enticed and sucked into their world of hot spices! Everything is spicy – from the crispy skin to the tender the meat itself. Note, only the middle part of the wings are served, which makes it that much better! Devoid of the smell of oil, these delicious chicken wings lured us all so easily into sinful indulgence. Another noteworthy dish to order : Sliced Pacific Clams with glass noodles (served in clam shells)

5. Muir Woods National Monument

Named after naturalist, John Muir, Muir Woods was declared a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt back in 1908 and it’s part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.. The star attraction of Muir Woods are the Coast Redwood trees (also know as Sequoia), the tallest type of tree in the world! The tallest redwood tree in Muir Woods stands at 258 feet, though it’s been said that they can grow up to 380 feet tall with a diameter of 20 feet! The serenity and the beauty of nature here is majestic, truly such a marvel.

6. Golden Gate Bridge

A must for all visiting San Francisco regardless of whether it’s a tourist hot spot as this IS one of the most recognizable landmarks here.  Golden Gate Bridge is something that you have to see up close for yourself. When you do, it’s surreal … Its gigantic dimensions enables one to get different views and angles of it, at any of the other popular spots around the bay.

7. Marin Headlands

Another part of the Golden Gate National Area and north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands offers a breathtaking view of the bay area. Wildlife like hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures are found here and it’s also home to large populations of  rabbits, raccoons, deer, bobcats and river otters to name a few. This is one place that you can go to if you fancy some hiking activity.

8. Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon

I’ve seen Beach Blanket Babylon twice during my trips to San Francisco and enjoyed every single minute of it. Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, the longest running musical revue in theater history, is a zany musical spoof of pop culture with extravagant costumes and outrageously huge hats. Info from the web – With sold-out performances since 1974, Beach Blanket Babylon is an internationally acclaimed San Francisco institution. With more than 12,000 performances in San Francisco, the show has performed for standing room only during its London and Las Vegas engagements. Beach Blanket Babylon continually evolves in its hilarious parodies of current events and popular icons as todays headlines unfold. Find out more about Beach Blanket Babylon showtimes and ticket prices HERE.  Make sure you catch it as it’s a riot!  The epitome of what San Francisco is all about!

*Photo from Beach Blanket Babylon official website.

9. North Beach area

This is the “Little Italy” part of San Francisco and also one of the “red light” districts, providing exciting nightlife. With its artsy and unique stores in the location, this is one of the more interesting areas to sit back , relax with a cup of coffee and do some people watching. Famous writers like Jack Kerouac lived in this neighbourhood.  The “Beatnik Culture” started here with the rise of poetic community in the 1950s that made North Beach the center of the San Francisco Renaissance.

10. Sausalito

*photo from tripadvisor

Take a ferry ride across to Sausalito from the pier and arrive at a quaint and lovely city of the San Francisco Bay. We usually make just a day trip over here to enjoy the sights. The floating homes (houseboats) add to the lovely scenery which has a community who obviously appreciates art judging by the stores here.  Art collectors, take note – There are lots of art studios and galleries which never fail to amaze us with the fine art pieces and also fun creations and crafts at the same time.  Try to make it for the Sausalito Art Festival, usually held annually over Labour Day weekend ( this year, on Sept 4th – 6th) where world class collections of fine arts and crafts are showcased.

About this week’s guest blogger :

WMW is a hip and happening lass who quit the corporate life more than a decade ago to “Live. Laugh. Love” ..  for life is great and should be celebrated everyday! Her passions include eating and traveling and she has been blessed with many opportunities to do so along the way.  WMW says she definitely eats way more than she travels though, and it will be evident when you meet her one day!

WMW’s website: You get what you Give

Follow her on twitter : @ugwug